SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The Wolf Pack basketball team beat Santa Clara, 93-63, on Wednesday night at the Leavey Center to improve to 3-0 on the season. Here are three takeaways from Nevada’s victory.

1. Is this a Top 25 team?

I have a vote in the Top 25 and have always been hesitant to put Nevada on my ballot to avoid being a homer (I’ve never done it in football or basketball since I started voting in 2012). This might be the week to do it. This team is very good, a lesson probably reinforced more Monday in the win over Rhode Island, an NCAA Tournament-caliber team, than Wednesday in the rout of Santa Clara, a middle-of-the-road West Coast Conference team. Nevada point guard Hallice Cooke has been on a Top 25 team before, at Iowa State in 2015-16. That team peaked at No. 7 in the AP poll. After Wednesday’s win, I asked him if Nevada had similar talent and belonged in the Top 25. “Absolutely,” Cooke said. “We have a lot of talent in that locker room. We have seven or eight guys who could start. There has to be guys who sacrifice, but we’re all doing the right things, we all spend a lot of time together, it’s a tight-knit group and you see it out there on the floor.” The Wolf Pack received two points in Monday’s poll, so it’s a ways away from breaking into the Top 25. It probably needs at least two more weeks of undefeated play to get there. But, the team certainly feels as if a Top 25 spot in warranted. “I think we have to keep winning and keep doing what we’re doing and we’ll get that honor,” forward Jordan Caroline said.

2. Cody Martin is good, too

When it comes to the Martin twins, the majority of the focus has always been on Caleb. He was the higher-rated prep prospect; he got more minutes at North Carolina State; Wolf Pack fans seemed more excited about landing him than his brother. But, Cody Martin can play some ball, too. Against Santa Clara, he set career highs in points (22) and rebounds (12) and also had three assists and two blocks. Through three games, he leads the team in blocks, steals and minutes; is second in rebounds, assists, field-goal shooting and free throws attempted; and is averaging 16.7 points per game. He’s the team’s best perimeter defender and is showing more offensive aggression than he did at NC State. “The biggest thing is my coaches and teammates have a really big influence and they really have a lot of trust in me to be more aggressive,” said Cody, who was 9-of-17 from the field against the Broncos. “They told me to be more aggressive and nobody cares who scores as long as the job gets done. That’s the same mindset for everybody. We don’t really care who gets going as long as somebody does.” At 6-foot-7, Martin is a gigantic point guard. “He’s been great,” coach Eric Musselman said. “He creates post-up problems because he’s so tall at the one and I thought he did a great job tonight.” And brother Caleb got to rest his turf toe injury – he only played 14 minutes – thanks to Nevada’s rout.

3. A Cameron Oliver update

Former Wolf Pack player Cameron Oliver was in attendance with his son – more on him later – and girlfriend and retreated to the Nevada locker room after the game to celebrate the win with the team. Oliver entered the NBA draft after his sophomore season and after going undrafted was signed to a two-year deal with the Houston Rockets, earning a $300,000 guarantee. Unfortunately, he broke his hand a couple of days before preseason games began and was eventually waived prior to the start of the season. Oliver’s hand in now healed and he said he will be put in the NBA G-League player pool soon to start his professional career as he attempts to get back to the NBA. Fans could lament over what this team would look like with Oliver – it would be a Sweet 16 kind of squad – but there might be another Oliver in silver and blue down the road. Oliver’s son, King, hasn’t even turned 1 yet, but he's tracking at the 99th percentile in height and is projected to be 6-foot-10. A future Wolf Pack center? One could only hope.